


waves crashing

by HQcharbon (fleurdelester)



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Character Study, Introspection, M/M, Manga Spoilers, Phone Calls, a little bit of slug but what is a hinata character study without a slug, above average use of semicolons and em dashes, brazil hinata, long distance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-07
Updated: 2021-03-07
Packaged: 2021-03-13 18:09:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,829
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29905056
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fleurdelester/pseuds/HQcharbon
Summary: hinata shouyou, alone with his thoughts, makes an impulsive phone call to the other side of the world.
Relationships: Hinata Shouyou/Kageyama Tobio
Comments: 13
Kudos: 55





	waves crashing

**Author's Note:**

  * For [rinpanna](https://archiveofourown.org/users/rinpanna/gifts), [MajesticAnna](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MajesticAnna/gifts).



> based off the kagehina exchange prompts "Volleyball reminds Hinata of Kageyama. How does he deal with being in Rio, so far from him, but constantly reminded of him? Even though he's not ready to see him again?" and "i have no thoughts i cannot provide more specific guidance but i will love anything you create i promise", as well as both of you loving introspection and hurt/comfort. 
> 
> i love you both and i hope you enjoy, because boy did this slug kick my ass.

Hinata had always been a fan of the ocean. When he was a child, he would spend entire days at the beach with his sister, soaking up the sun while the waves lapped at their feet.

He used to think that volleyball had replaced that love, ever since he started high school, joined a real team, _met Kageyama_. His passion for the sport consumed him, burning and burning until he eventually crashed. Even after he fell back down to earth, the flame within him still burned strong, only he knew now that he needed to learn to control it, to care for it and hone it into his weapon.

When he was in his second year of high school, he found a way to combine his love for the sea and his love of volleyball: beach volleyball.

He had it perfectly planned in his head: he would take a year off after graduating high school, master the sand and sea on the other side of the world, and return to Japan to kick Kageyama’s ass.

He can’t exactly say that he’s deviated too far from that plan, but as he sits on the beach in Rio de Janeiro, watching the sun rise over the ocean, reflecting on the waves as they ground themselves on the shore, he thinks to his future.

He only has two months left before he returns back to Japan, and although he can see what’s waiting for him on the horizon, a tryout planned for a v-league team and a hope of finally defeating Kageyama, he feels a twang in his stomach. He’s come so far, but it feels like instead of just catching up he’s nearing towards the finish line.

When he last saw Kageyama before they parted ways, so many things went unsaid. Their entire high school career sparks were flying between them, and he _knows_ Kageyama felt it too, that tension between them, like a wire being tightened more and more to pull them close to each other.

He was only seventeen when he realized he had feelings for Kageyama, but at that point he knew what was at stake for himself, for _both of them_. So, he buried his feelings deep within himself, locking his heart under chain and key.

It wasn’t easy, of course. He could swear he almost felt physical pain when he found out from Yachi that Kageyama had gone ahead and signed a contract with the Adlers, _without telling him no less_ , but Kageyama had just nudged him in the side and offered four simple words.

 _I’m going on ahead_.

And even though it was unsaid, Hinata knew what it meant.

_Hurry up and catch up already, I’ll be waiting._

But now that his time in Brazil was coming to an end, he felt anxious at the unknown of what lies ahead, just like in middle school, when he _didn’t know_ if Karasuno would be a team good enough to face off against the king of the court. Sure, he’d gone and made all these improvements to himself, to his play, but what if he got back to Japan only to find that it just hadn’t been enough?

And if it _was_ enough, where did that limit lie? He hadn’t just promised to meet Kageyama on the same stage one day, he’d promised to _beat_ him. It was a promise he had full intentions to keep, but he had no definitive proof that he’d even be able to do it.

For so long he associated volleyball with playing with Kageyama, hitting Kageyama’s sets and learning to receive his serves. It was like he had to re-learn volleyball once they graduated high school, having to accept that Kageyama was on a new stage that he wasn’t at yet.

He flings himself down on his yoga mat, squinting at the morning sun glaring down at him.

He needs to stop thinking.

He rolls to his side and grabs his phone, hoping to distract himself by mindlessly scrolling through social media and soaking up the sun until he has to get ready for work.

It isn’t long before he encounters a picture of Kageyama – some ad he’d done for a sportswear brand where he’s jogging on a random street in Tokyo, and his heart squeezes in his chest. He looks _good_. Not only is he still so handsome he makes Hinata’s breath hitch – he _looks_ like a professional athlete. Something Hinata can only hope to be.

Without thinking, he pulls up his chat with Kageyama, ignoring that the last message was sent over two months ago, and quickly types his message.

 _I miss you_.

As soon as the delivered checkmark appears on his screen, he remembers that it’s almost midnight in Japan, and Kageyama is probably fast asleep in preparation for morning practice. It was also probably a stupid idea to send an “I miss you” after not even attempting to talk to Kageyama for the past two months, but it’s not like he can unsend it now.

He moves to close the app, embarrassed by his impulsive text message, but he sees the almost instant appearance of three dots dancing above the keyboard, letting him know that Kageyama is responding.

A simple ‘ _?_ ’ is delivered, and he places his phone facedown into the sand, fully intending to just pretend he didn’t see it and deal with that problem at a later time.

He resumes his yoga pose from before and repeats to himself like a mantra:

_I do not miss Kageyama, I do not miss Kageyama, I do not miss Kageyama._

He tries to focus on the waves crashing to the shore, tries to clear his mind of Kageyama. But the currents pulling the water back into the sea just remind him of how he’s always been drawn to Kageyama.

He flicks his thighs, hoping to wake himself from this Kageyama-induced trance.

His phone starts buzzing next to him, indicating that it’s ringing. He doesn’t want to look at it, for fear of karma coming back at him for his impulsive texting, but then again, it could be his mom or Natsu, and he’s rather not get his ear chewed off by them for not answering their calls.

Without looking at the caller ID – he doesn’t need to; he knows who’s calling, he slides his thumb across the screen to answer the call and presses the phone to his ear.

“Hello?” he asks, squeezing his eyes shut in anticipation.

“Why didn’t you answer my text, dumbass?” Kageyama’s voice is tinny, perhaps from the distance – Hinata can’t tell, but he can still hear the grogginess underneath, like he was about to go to sleep when he called.

“You’re one to talk, Kageyama.” He says, overly confident in his teasing. “Don’t you usually take days to reply?”

He hears heavy breathing through the line, and he can picture Kageyama pouting as he lies in bed.

 _Cute_.

“Yeah, but you’re not me.” Kageyama finally says. “You always reply pretty much instantly, like your phone is part of your body. So it’s weird that you didn’t answer for like ten minutes.”

“Aw, were you worried about me or something?” He knows he’s borderline flirting, but Kageyama obviously called him to talk about the text message, he’s going to avoid it as much as he can.

“Hinata,” Kageyama’s voice is firm. “What are you not telling me?”

“Nothing.” Hinata says, quickly changing the subject. “Hey, Kageyama, I saw pictures from the photoshoot with that new brand you got a deal with – they look really good!”

“That’s nice.” Kageyama ignores him completely. “You haven’t tried to talk to me for like two months, and now you message me ‘I miss you’ out of the blue. Clearly something is up.”

Hinata keeps quiet. In high school he always teased Kageyama about being so blunt, but it actually made him quite perceptive sometimes. He hates it.

“Don’t tell me you’re getting homesick _now_ ,” Kageyama prompts. “Don’t you come home in a few months?”

“It’s not that.” Hinata’s voice is small, and he feels like it might be lost through the phone line on its way to the other side of the world.

“Then what is it?” Kageyama is starting to sound impatient now. “It’s getting late, so just spit it out already. Otherwise you’re going to spend your whole day slugging around because you didn’t talk about whatever’s bothering you.”

Hinata bites his lip. He’s never been the type to really talk about what’s bothering him, but even in high school Kageyama had been oddly perceptive to when something was off. Still, he feels stupid about impulsively texting Kageyama, and he doesn’t want to bother him with his problems when he could be letting him sleep. But Kageyama is giving him the option; he might as well take it.

“Well, beach has been going really well and all….” He trails off, struggling to put his dilemma into words. At least, words that don’t sound stupid.

Kageyama remains silent on the other side of the line, giving Hinata the space to find his words.

“I _know_ I’ve gotten better; I can feel it.” He continues but trails off again, letting his voice quiet.

“But?” Kageyama drags his voice out, starting to sound impatient. Hinata gulps, getting the point and not wanting Kageyama to hang up on him.

“ _But_ ,” he says, squeezing his eyes shut in preparation to spit out his next words. “What if it’s still not enough?”

Kageyama snorts on the other side of the line. “Of course only you would think that.”

“Hey! You can’t laugh at me, Kageyama-kun. I have to beat _you_ remember?”

“Yeah, you can and you will.” Kageyama sounds sure of himself, like he knows that he can’t be wrong.

“Even if I _do_ manage to beat you, what happens after that? It’s all I’ve been thinking of since I was fifteen, what am I supposed to do once it happens?”

“Simple.” Kageyama says. “You do it again. And again. And maybe once or twice I’ll beat you too, but then we can play _together_. We can show the rest of the world how unstoppable we can be together.”

Hinata can feel his cheeks heat up at the praise. Kageyama’s confidence in him should feel like a surprise – after all, this is the guy who still calls him _dumbass_ at every possible moment, but he feels a pleasant warmth coursing through him, like Kageyama genuinely means what he’s saying. 

“Aww, Kageyama-kun,” he teases, trying to ignore his heart fluttering in his chest. “Don’t tell me you’re going to give up that easily.”

“Huh?” Kageyama yawns. “Never. I’m not letting you win without putting up a fight.”

“It must be pretty late there. I’ll let you get your sleep.” Hinata sighs, his mood already lifted from the short call with Kageyama. “Thanks Kageyama. Sleep well.”

“Yeah,” Kageyama hums, his voice even heavier with sleep than it was before. “Hinata?”

“Yeah?”

“I miss you too.”

**Author's Note:**

> follow me on[twitter](https://twitter.com/HQcharbon)!


End file.
